HEAT STORAGE

Organic compounds

oxidize and thermal

energy is recovered.

As the market leader for ceramic heat storage in RTO systems, Ceram Austria offers materials and geometries for every process engineering requirement. Our hexagonal honeycomb technology maximizes heat transfer, reduces pressure drop, and enables autothermal operation without energy input.

OUR TECHNOLOGY

Store thermal energy instead of wasting it.

Ceramic heat storage recovers up to 97% of the energy used in thermal processes. The main application is Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO): pollutant-laden exhaust gas is preheated to combustion temperature through a ceramic heat storage bed, oxidized at 800–900°C, and then releases its heat into the next bed. The regular reversal of flow direction makes the process continuous and highly efficient.

Ceram is the market leader for ceramic heat storage in RTO systems. Our hexagonal honeycombs increase heat transfer, reduce pressure drop, and enable operation without external energy input at the autothermal design point. The broad material portfolio from decades of research in Frauental covers all thermomechanical and chemical requirements of the process industry.

Thermal Processes

High heat recovery: Structured honeycomb bodies achieve the highest possible heat recovery compared to conventional packed-bed technology, with thermal efficiency of up to 97%.
Low pressure drop: The defined, laminar flow in the honeycomb channels delays particle deposition and chemical corrosion. The lower pressure drop reduces the required fan power, which is one of the key operating cost drivers.
VOC destruction > 99%: Over 99% of the harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC) contained in the exhaust gas are oxidized to CO₂ and water by RTO technology. This ensures compliance with the strictest operating permits and regulatory requirements.
Autothermal operation: When the storage bed and cycle time are matched to the mass flow and energy content of the exhaust gas, the system can be operated without additional fuel, reducing gas consumption by up to 45%.

OUR PRODUCTS

Honeycomb ceramics for regenerative thermal processes.

Structure, geometry, and material are individually selected for each application, from industrial RTO storage beds to decentralized residential ventilation to thermal energy storage.

Explore products →

HONEYCOMB CERAMICS FOR RTO

Intelligent RTO Layer System

Ceram Austria pioneered honeycomb ceramics for RTO systems and early on recognized the potential of the defined flow channels of a honeycomb body compared to conventional packed beds. The laminar gas flow prevents particle deposition and corrosion attacks and enables optimal heat recovery efficiency at low pressure drop. The HEX cell geometry with hexagonal channels further improves heat distribution throughout the storage bed and reduces gas consumption by up to 15 percent compared to standard square cells. Ceram supports customers in the customized design of layer systems, maximizing operating times and minimizing unplanned downtime.

Standard dimensions: 150 × 150 × 300 mm and 150 × 150 × 150 mm | Cell structure: square and hexagonal | Application: for exhaust gases with and without dust load

HONEYCOMB CERAMICS FOR RHV

Heat exchangers for regenerative residential ventilation

For decentralized ventilation systems with heat recovery in residential buildings, Ceram offers specially shaped honeycomb bodies made of high-alumina porcelain. The dense ceramic surface made of natural mineral raw materials does not absorb water and reliably prevents any hygiene problems in the ventilation duct. With thermal efficiency of up to 90 percent, the heat from the exhaust air stream is almost completely recovered and transferred to the incoming fresh air stream. The honeycomb bodies are available in standard diameters as well as custom shapes and can be adapted to suit different ventilation units.

Design: round / custom shapes | Diameter: Ø 90–143 mm | Efficiency: up to 90% | Property: no water absorption

POWER TO HEAT

Ceram Solarstone

For the next generation of regenerative heat storage, Ceram has developed the Solarstone: a specially designed honeycomb ceramic with maximum heat storage capacity and excellent thermomechanical properties. The thick-walled 11-cell honeycomb structure made of high-alumina porcelain enables the storage of thermal energy at the highest temperatures and is designed for transient charging and discharging. The Solarstone is a key component for Power-to-Heat applications, where surplus renewable electricity is converted into usable process heat and released on demand, thus making a concrete contribution to CO₂ reduction in industry.

Heat storage capacity: 6.18 kJ/K (high-alumina porcelain) | Cell structure: thick-walled 11-cell honeycomb | Application: thermal energy storage, Power-to-Heat

OUR FEATURES

Cell structure, cell size, and material determine efficiency.

Ceramic honeycomb bodies from Ceram achieve thermal efficiency of up to 97% and are designed for a broad spectrum of thermal applications. Our portfolio includes different cell geometries and materials specifically tailored to the dust load, temperature level, and chemical exposure of each process. This allows the optimal balance between heat recovery, pressure drop, and service life to be achieved for every system.

Cell Structure

Ceram offers honeycomb bodies in square and hexagonal cell structures. The choice of structure directly influences heat transfer, pressure drop, and gas consumption of the system.

HEX cells offer the densest channel packing per area: approximately 15% more channels at the same hydraulic diameter, about 72% more active heat exchange points, and in total 10–15% less gas consumption compared to square cell types.

Cell Size & Cell Opening

Ceram offers honeycomb bodies in a wide range of cell openings, tailored to the dust load and efficiency requirements of each application.

Coarse pitches with large openings (e.g., 25×25, ~4.9 mm cell opening) are suitable for dust-laden exhaust gases and applications with SiO₂ load. Fine pitches (e.g., 60×60, ~2.0 mm cell opening) achieve specific surface areas of over 1,300 m²/m³ and are designed for dust-free processes with the highest efficiency requirements. The pressure drop can also be controlled via the open frontal area.

Material

Ceram offers a comprehensive material portfolio from NT high-alumina to cordierite to mullite ceramics. Dense, high-storage types such as NT and LA are used for standard applications and acidic exhaust gases, thermal-shock-resistant MK types serve as cover layers at high temperature gradients, and HT mullite covers oxidation temperatures up to 1,500°C.

In practice, multiple materials are strategically combined within a storage bed to optimize heat recovery and service life.